We are all feeling the pressure of living life right now in “not-so-normal” ways, especially when spending so much more time at home than what we normally do. The stress of this new situation can affect more than your mind; it’s a physiological process that can wreak havoc on your body as well. Having a good handle on anxiety allows you to maintain good mental and physical health. That’s why it’s important to focus on healthy habits at home to decrease your stress level so you can live a happy, healthy life.
Here is a list of 5 simple tips that can help benefit a more sound mind and body.
Tip #1: Focus on Mindfulness
This does not mean you should quit your job, move to a monastery and become a monk. We can only begin to improve our mindsets once we notice their state in the first place. Becoming aware of when you are experiencing stress is the first step to mitigating that feeling.
Stretching
Stretching is an excellent way to stay in tune with your body and its needs. Stretching helps improve flexibility and posture while lowering the risk of physical injury. But did you know it helps your body absorb more nutrients, too?
When you stretch, blood flow is increased throughout the body. This improved circulation allows your blood, which carries nutrients, to reach more muscle groups and provide them with much-needed nutrient support. It also acts as a way to make your muscles to relax, in turn calming the mind. You will feel more refreshed, calm and relaxed. Here are some ideas on stretching during the day.
Breathing Exercises
Focusing on your breath is a common theme in meditation practices. If you can slow your thoughts and focus on something as simple as breathing in and out, other worries will tend to fade for the time being.
Physical benefits of proper breathing can include increased blood flow, lessened inflammation, and improved digestion. Naturally, our bodies need oxygen to perform. The rising oxygen levels can help support essential bodily functions. Here are some ideas on focusing your breathing during the day.
Meditation
Much like breathing exercises and stretching, meditation helps to focus and calm the mind. You don’t need to go to a retreat to learn the power of meditation. The goal is simply to notice your thoughts and recenter them when your mind wanders to stressful situations. You can meditate for 30 seconds or 30 hours. Just employ this strategy when you can feel yourself getting worked up.
In an eight-week study, a meditation style called “mindfulness meditation” reduced the inflammation response caused by stress (ie. increased cortisol levels).
Tip #2: No Electronics Before Bed
Do you ever find yourself mindlessly scrolling through your social media feed? Do you open an app on your phone out of boredom without ever consciously deciding to go there? Us too. Here’s some benefits to limiting your screen time.
First off, the physical act of staring at a bright screen can cause issues. Eye strain is common and can often result in headaches. Less time staring at a screen will reduce these results.
The blue light emitted from the screen has been shown to decrease melatonin levels and interfere with the body’s day/night cycle. It is recommended that you do not watch TV, use your phone, or scroll through your iPad in the hour before you plan to sleep.
Another bonus to limiting screen time has to do with what you see on your phone. Often you will come into contact with negative news when scrolling through your feed. This can upset you and therefore cause an increase in cortisol, as known as the stress hormone.
Tip #3: No Stress Eating
You can’t talk about improving the mind without an effort to improve the body, since the body ultimately controls your mental state. It’s easy to default to comfort foods and junk food when feeling stressed. Proper nutrition to ensure you receive proper quantities of essential vitamins and nutrients is key.
Make sure you are giving the body what it needs by eating whole foods and adding proper supplementation so you can maintain a healthy immune system. Check out our latest smoothie recipe to make an immune-boosting beverage that’s packed with vitamins and nutrients.
Lily of the Desert’s Aloe vera Juices, Gels, and Formulas have over 200 biologically-active components that are naturally found in aloe vera and offer great health benefits. Plus, with the addition of Aloesorb, our products are clinically proven to help boost immune support, improve nutrient absorption, help detox the body of unwanted toxins and increase antioxidant support. They also help maintain healthy digestion and regularity, which is where 70% of immune health lies.
Tip #4: Get Outdoors!
We’ve done plenty of talking about both enhancing your mental state and enhancing the internal functions of the body. Now it’s time to take care of the outside.
Most people stay indoors quite often due to office work or hanging out at the house. These habits can result in a Vitamin D deficiency from a lack of sunlight. Get outdoors and enjoy some wonderful Vitamin D the sun rays give off each day. Whether you choose to meditate outdoors or get some exercise, it’s a double win for mental and physical health.
You can help keep your skin healthy and moisturized by using Lily of the Desert’s 99% Aloe Gelly. This topical moisturizer reduces the appearance of dry and damaged skin, promotes an attractive appearance, and hydrates up to 3 epidermal layers.
Tip #5: Your Health Matters
Life can throw a lot of factors your way that you have to deal with. Sometimes we can lose focus on what is really important. Taking care of both your body and mind will have tremendous results and improve your overall quality of life.
Have any questions about Lily of the Desert’s products or just wondering something about this blog post? Feel free to message us on Facebook and we will help you out!
